Electric arc sun lamp

ABSTRACT

A SELF-STARTING AND SELF-EXTINGUISHING ELECTRIC ARC SUN LAMP IS PROVIDED UTILIZING A PLUG-IN LOW COST REPLACEABLE CARTRIDGE HOLDER FOR THE ARC ELEMENTS. CARBONACEOUS ARC ELEMENTS COMPRISING A COMPRESSED HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE OF POWDERED CARBON AND POWDERED METAL ARE UTILIZED TO ENHANCE ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION IN THE TANNING RANGE SO AS TO PROVIDE OPTIMUM TANNING EXPOSURE AND MINIMUM SKIN BURNING EFFECT.

United States Patent Robert P. Miller Spring Valley, N.Y.;

Marvin Miller, Teaneck, N.,l.; Stephen P. Bailey, Mehopac, NX.

Nov. 17, 1969 June 28, 1971 Bristol-Myers Company. New York. NY.

lnventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee ELECTRIC ARC SUN LAMP 8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 314/130, 128/395, 250/84. 250/86, 250/88, 313/237 Int. Cl 1105b 31/18. A61n 5/00 Field of Search 314/60, 130; 128/395, 396; 313/237, 254, 257, 357; 250/84, 86, 85, 87, 88

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,193,866 8/1916 Buchanan 3l3/357X 1,824,972 9/1931 Vischer, Jr. 250/88X 2,118,145 5/1938 Beyer 250/85 Primary Examiner Bernard A. Gilheavy Assistant ExaminerRoy N. Envall, Jr. Attorney-Pennie, Edmonds, Morton, Taylor and Adams ABSTRACT: A self-starting and self-extinguishing electric arc sun lamp is provided utilizing a plug-in low cost replaceable cartridge holder for the are elements. carbonaceous arc elements comprising a compressed homogeneous mixture of powdered carbon and powdered metal are utilized to enhance ultraviolet radiation in the tanning range so as to provide optimum tanning exposure and minimum skin burning effect.

PATENTEU JUN28 l9?! SHEET 1 [IF 3 FIG. 18

FIG. 28

FIG; 2A

FIG. 3

FIG. 6

EE NLL Ll RL E N P E VNM I E m V REE AO MRS ATTORNEYS PATENTEU JUN28 IBYI SHEET 2 OF 3 320:: n 3,6520 Q muc I FIG. 4

2o Ignition Time (seconds) 8 R RHU 0 L LI N.H M T 5 WWR VE RB AC 6 MR N m a u m w w w w flmmnoccd $3805 952M STE-VEN P. BAILEY l2 Arc Burning Time (minutes) M M M 2 ATTORIEYS ELECTRIC ARC sun LAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to electrically energized arc lamps utilizing low cost replaceable single use carbonaceous are cartridges to automatically provide a safe controlled exposure of optimum wavelength UV radiation for tanning and therapeutic effect.

2. Description ofthc Prior Art Therapeutic arc lamps that have been proposed in the prior art have generally been unsatisfactory for home use both from the standpoint of cost and complexity of operational adjustment for the technically unskilled home user. In addition, the uncertainty of are burning time has posed a health hazard for the user of prior art devices because safe exposure time can readily be exceeded due to the high UV energy output.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an arc-type sun lamp which is self-starting and self-extinguishing, requires no adjustment by the home user and which provides a single predetermined safe exposure from each disposable cartridge.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a single use, low cost are cartridge is provided for plug-in mounting in a selfcontained portable sun lamp housing. A pair of carbonaceous arc electrodes are fixedly mounted on an insulative support with tapered electrode tips maintained in electrical contact to afford a rapid and reliable self-starting characteristic. Low cost electrode elements which produce optimum wavelength UV radiation for skin tanning are advantageously formed by compressing a homogeneous mixture of powdered carbon and a small amount of one or more powdered metals with a binder. The taper-tipped electrodes are dimensioned to produce a predetermined are burning time and hence a safe single exposure for the user. After each use, the burned out cartridge is replaced with a new one.

The arc cartridge is mounted in a protective housing having both thermal and electrical interlocks to prevent injurious contact by the user with either a hot or an electrically energized cartridge.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIGS. IA and 18 show side and end elevation views respectively of a unitary arc electrode cartridge made in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B show side and end elevation views of a modified unitary arc cartridge having metal band electrical contacts for the electrodes;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing a preferred are electrode configuration;

FIG. 4 is a graphical plot showing arc ignition time as a function of the contacting tip diameter;

FIG. 5 is a graphical plot showing are burning time as a function of electrode diameter;

FIG. 6 is an electrical schematic diagram for a low cost sun lamp using the replaceable arc cartridge shown in FIGS. I and 2; and

FIGS. 7A and 7B show front and side elevation views of a sun lamp with the cartridges shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIGS. IA and 18, there is shown therein a replaceable plug-in cartridge having a ceramic insulative base 10 with riser sections 10R adapted to rigidly support the terminal ends of carbonaceous electrodes 12A and 128. As shown, the are burning tips are tapered cones, preferably with truncated tips, the small flat tip portions being maintained in intimate electrical contact to afford a rapid self-starting operation. The electrode terminal ends are preferably bonded into the receiving slots 105 with a ceramic bonding adhesive such as that manufactured and sold by Sauereisen Co. under the name "Insalute." The electrode terminal tips IQT are preferably mounted flush with the end surface of 10R so as to be easily accessible for contact with the electrical terminals of a lamp socket.

In an alternative cartridge structure, the terminal ends of the carbonaceous electrodes 12A and 12B are rigidly held in operating position in the grooves 205 of risers 20R by electrically conductive metal bands as shown in FIGS. 2A and 28. Support base 20 may be made of any insulative material such as ceramic that can withstand the high arc temperature.

As illustrated in FIGS. I3, the contacting tip sections 9A and 9B of the electrodes are preferably tapered to provide both rapid ignition and controlled burning time. Although the taper ofthe tips may be continued to provide sharp contacting points, advantageously the tips are truncated to afford a more reliable self-starting electrical contact. The effect which the area of tip contact has on are ignition time is clearly shown in FIG. 4. A conical tip having a slope of about 25 and a truncated circular surface of about 1/32 inch diameter d has been found to provide almost instantaneous ignition time with 10 ampcres current flow through homogeneous electrodes formulated as follows: 78 percent Carbon and Binders, 8 percent Chromium, 7 percent Manganese, 5 percent Iron. l 9% percent Silicon and 0.5 percent Potassium. When the diameter of the electrode contact is increased to l/l6 inch diameter, arc ignition time is increased to more than 25 seconds.

In accordance with a principal aspect of the invention, the arc electrodes are configured to be not only rapidly self-starting but also self-extinguishing after a predetermined safe period of UV exposure time. From FIG. 4, it will be seen that are burning time is primarily determined by the diameter D of the electrodes. For home sun lamp use, homogeneous electrodes with the above formulation having a diameter D of about 5/32 inch and providing :a 5 minute UV exposure have been found very satisfactory. It will be appreciated that total burning time can also be controlled to a limited extent by changing the angular taper of the conical tips or by controlling AC current flow through the el izctrodes with an adjustable resister. I

In operation, the cartridge electrodes 12A and 12B are electrically energized from a I20 volt AC household outlet via a housing safety interlock switch 30, a multiple use switch 31, and a current limiting resistor 32. Resistor 32 advantageously comprises an infrared heater element in the form of a "Calrod" unit 32C (as shown in FIG. 7A) which may be separately energized when desired by closing the arc electrode bypass switch 40. Multiple use switchl 3l advantageously includes a normally closed safety tipover switch 41 and a normally closed thermostat switch 42 connected in series with on-off switch 43. In the event the lamp is] accidentally tipped over or becomes overheated, switch 41 .or switch 42 will be opened to deenergize the lamp circuit.

A compact low cost metal hdusing 66 for the arc lamp and heat lamp is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The are cartridge is advantageously mounted in socket clips 50, 51 with the electrode elements oriented as shown in a venical plane. Mounted behind the arc cartridge is a compact UV reflector 60.

The disposable arc cartridge is readily replaced after one use with a new cartridge by depressing bimetallic lock 61 which only permits the opening of hinged window door 70 after the internal temperature dropped to a safe value. Window 71 in door 70 is advantageously made of filter glass such as No. 7058 made by Corning Glass Company which attenuates the transmission of all light energy below about 3000 angstroms. A large reflector is mounted behind the Calrod resistor to reflect infrared heat energy forwardly through window 71.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein without departing from the inventive concepts as defined in the claims.

We claim:

I. A self-starting arc lamp electrode cartridge comprising:

a..an insulative base having spaced risers for supporting the terminal ends of separate arc electrodes; and

a pair of carbonaceous electrodes each having a terminal end and a tapered are burning end, the respective terminal ends being rigidly secured to the spaced base risers with the tapered are burning ends engaged in electrical contact.

2. An arc lamp electrode cartridge in accordance with claim 1 wherein the tapered ends of the carbonaceous electrodes are truncated and the small flat facing tip xurfaces of the respective electrodes are engaged in intimate electrical contact.

3. An arc lamp electrode cartridge in accordance with claim I wherein the are electrodes comprise a homogeneous mixture of predominately powdered carbon and a small amount of at least one additional powdered element selected from the group ofiron, manganese, and chromium.

4. A self-starting arc sun lamp comprising:

a replaceable arc electrode cartridge having an insulative ceramic base for supporting the terminal ends of separate arc electrodes the tip burning ends being tapered and engaged to provide a starting current electrical contact;

b. a protective housing having an electrically energizeable receptacle for said cartridge; and

c. a filter glass window for transmitting the UV energy radiated by said are electrodes having wavelengths above about 3000 A.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the housing is provided with an access door having a protective latch controlled by a temperature sensitive member.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein means are provided to limit current flow through the arc electrodes.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the are electrodes are dimensioned to self-extinguish after a predetermined burning interval.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the current limiting means comprises a resistor. 

